Importance of Internships (thoughts from a senior)

My name is Elizabeth Hayes and I am a senior here at Curry College. Since I’ve been a student at Curry I have done two internships, both with the help of Career Services.

My first internship took place at the Boston Preservation Alliance which is a non-profit organization that helps protect landmarks, historic buildings, and communities throughout the city. When I first started this internship I was completely overwhelmed, not really knowing what to expect. The first few weeks I was there they had me doing newspaper clippings and filing, which was pretty boring, but I think they wanted me to get comfortable being there. After I got comfortable being an intern they started including me in a lot more work. I got to make style sheets for the company logo, create PowerPoint slides for their meetings, go to business meetings with them, contact the media through phone and e-mails, and write press releases. The one thing that I was the most intimidated with was writing the press releases. I never thought I was that bad of a writer, so I spent time on this press release to make sure it was perfect for them. When I was done I was pretty proud of myself because personally I thought it was a job well done, until I showed the head of the Boston Preservation Alliance who thought differently. She read the press release I wrote out and literally scratched out nearly everything. At first, I was discouraged thinking maybe she did that because I was the intern, but I listened to what she had to say, did what she wanted me to do, and ended up handing in a revised version. After that day whenever I was asked to write press releases for them I always went to her first, and by the end of my internship I believe I became a much better writer than I ever was before. This internship made me more confident in my work, and this experience made me realize that it’s important to ask questions, because no question is a stupid one.

My second internship is currently at Career Services, where I help market and promote events they’re holding, and I also help inform students about how important having an internship really is. Interning at Career Services has helped me work on my public speaking skills, my marketing skills, and my graphic design skills. It has taught me to look outside the box and try different things that I wouldn’t normally do such as creating style sheets and working at Career Fairs. I have talked to students all over campus asking questions about their internship experiences and talking to them about the internship process. Interning for Career Services has more than prepared me for the future. I have not only improved on my skills, but I have learned new ones. Interning for Career Services has helped give me the complete confidence I need.

Career Services has given me the insight on how they work and want to help students succeed here at Curry. Being an intern there now I am learning something new every day and learning how important it is to use them especially when you’re in search of finding an internship or a career. They are the most useful resource on campus and they want you to succeed. So while you’re at Curry take advantage of what they have to offer because chances are if you don’t, you’re going to regret it. Doing two internships with the help of Career Services has changed my life. Now I am more likely to be considered for a career, I have the networking connections and skills that I need, I am confident, I have majorly improved on my interview skills, I have learned to be open to try new things, even if I don’t think I have the skills, I have become much more computer savvy than I was before, and I am not afraid to ask questions. So in writing this article I would like to say thank you to Career Services in helping me go out and gain amazing experiences through both of my internships. They have truly made it that much easier for me to go out and get a career.